The Owls Plexus 
All original material © Bruce G. Marcot
The Owls Plexus is a segment of The Plexus web site

updated:  30 June 2009

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Contents

Mythology, Art, Science, and Tributes to Owls 
Photos of Owls 
Recordings of Owls 
Science Reports on Owls 

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Mythology, Art, Science, and Tributes to Owls

Mythology:  Owls in Lore and Culture.  (An essay on cultural anthropology.)
Note -- this is an early version of more extensive book chapter:
    Marcot, B. G., and D. H. Johnson. 2003. Owls in mythology and culture.  Pp. 88-105 in: J. R. Duncan. Owls of the world: their lives, behavior and survival. Key Porter Books, Ltd., Toronto, Canada. 319 pp.
Available at: Amazon.com

The strange story of the owl who called my name.  

The spirit of owls ... and Song of the Spotted Owl.  (Poetry.)

A tribute to Dr. Karel H. Voous, the man who loved owls. 

Do you conduct scientific surveys of owls?  Help contribute to a major synthesis of owl survey techniques.  Part of the Global Owl Project ("GLOW"). 

Owls in Art  

Bruce G. Marcot Spotted Owl Collection, 1951-1997, Oregon State University Library, University Archives, Corvallis Oregon USA -- collection information (21 KB PDF), collection contents (8KB PDF)

Owl Postage Stamps from Zimbabwe -- Stamp out owls!

Belgium                            Swaziland                           Liberia

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Photos of Owls by Bruce Marcot ¹.

• Common Barn Owl (Tyto alba) -  
      - in a baobab tree along the Limpopo River, southwestern Zimbabwe, southern Africa, subspecies affinis 
      - in a rainforest of northern Queensland, Australia, subspecies delicatula, photo 1, photo 2 
      - from Assam, northeast India (captive specimen at Guwahati Zoo), subspecies stertens, photo 1, photo 2  
• Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata)  
      - in rainforest of northern Queensland, Australia - on temporary roost under an open shelter; pair and young in cavity  
• Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae kimberli)  
      - (light morph) in rainforest of northern Queensland, Australia - photo 1, photo 2, photo 3  
• Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) - 
      - in Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), northern India:  on perch 1 ... on perch 2 ... pair in cavity 1 ... pair in cavity 2.  
      - on roost in a tea plantation in Dehra Dun, Uttranchal, northern India, photo 1, photo 2.
• Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)  
      - in a grassy field of the Arcata Bottoms, coastal northwestern California.  
      - in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside Tucson, Arizona: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3.
• Little Owl (Athene noctua)  
      - in South Island, New Zealand (the species has been introduced there).
• Snowy Owl (Nyctea [Bubo] scandiaca)  
      - rare sighting on the north coast of Oregon, on back dunes, 5 February 2006, female -- photo 1 (perch), photo 2 (perch), photo 3 (perch), photo 4 (flying), photo 5 (in back dune habitat).
      - along the Dalton Highway south of Prudhoe Bay (Deadhorse), Alaska, by the Arctic Ocean, May 2009: 
  photo 6, photo 7, photo 8, photo 9, photo 10  
• Giant (or Verraux's) Eagle-owl (Bubo lacteus)  
      - on roost along a dry sand wash in Kruger National Park, South Africa; photo 1, photo 2  
      - juvenile & adult, on day roosts at Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya; photo 3, photo 4, photo 5, photo 6, photo 7, photo 8, photo 9, photo 10, photo 11, photo 12 
• Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)  
      - captive specimen in the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona.
• Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)  
      - museum mount specimen, taken in Russian Far East.
• Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)  
      - taken in Viphya Plateau, northern Malawi, Africa.
• Grayish (or Vermiculated) Eagle-Owl (Bubo cinerascens) ... split as a separate species from Spotted Eagle-Owl (has brown eyes, compared with the yellow eyes of Spotted Eagle-Owl); note: these photos, taken  near Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, southwest Kenya, extend the distribution of this species as previously denoted in the range map in König et al. (1999). 
      - pair, at rock outcrop: photo 1, photo 2; 
      - individual in tree (note: eyes were actually brown, not gray as appears in this photo in which I used red-eye reduction) photo 3 
• Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa [=Bubo] zeylonensis) -
      - captive specimen I photographed in the city of Shillong, in the state of Meghalaya, in remote northeast India.
      - on perch in Corbett National Park, northern India (strongly backlit).
      - on perch in a tea plantation, Assam, northeast India (hidden in foliage). 
      - captive specimen in Guwhati Zoo, Assam, India: photo 1, photo 2, with redeye from flash, head closeup, head with redeye, head showing nictating membrane over eye. 
• Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa)  
      - in rainforest along stream, northern Queensland, Australia  
• African Scops Owl (Otus senegalensis)  
      - on day roost in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
• Western Screech-owl (Otus kennicottii) - 
      - injured specimen in northwestern California that I rehabilitated and that was released back into its forest habitat: Photo 1, Photo 2.  
      - gray phase photographed at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside Tucson, Arizona.
• Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)  
      - on day roost in a Phoenix palm, Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), northern India, closeup 1, closeup 2.
• Northern White-faced Scops Owl (Ptilopsis [prev. Otus] leucotis) 
      - on day roost, Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya, subspecies leucotis; showing "alert posture:" photo 1, photo 2 
• Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)  
      - rear view of a Pearl-spotted Owlet taken in Zimbabwe.  Note the markings on the back of the head that resemble eyes. This is to deter predators.  But not photographers!  
      - on day roosts, and called in at night, Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya; subspecies licua: photo 1, photo 2 (rear view showing eye spots), photo 3 
• African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense) - 
      - rear view, taken in western Zimbabwe
      - on daytime perch in Liwonde National Park, southern Malawi
      - on nighttime perch in South Luangwa National Park, eastern Zambia.
• Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)  
      - on perch at Dhikala Camp in the heart of Corbett National Park, northern India.  Closeup. 
• Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)  
      - on perch, banks of Kosi River adjacent to Corbett National Park, northern India -- Photo 1, Photo 2. 
• Ridgway's Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi) 
      - on perch in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside Tucson, Arizona -- front view; and back view showing eye spots on back of head
• Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi)  
      - on perch in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside Tucson, Arizona -- Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3. 
• Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina)  
      - juveniles in mesoptile plumage (body is still in downy feathers but wing and tail flight feathers have grown in), in Klamath Mountains of northwestern California. 
• Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)  
      - captive specimens in the city of Shillong, in the state of Meghalaya, in remote northeast India. 
• (African) Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii)  
      - on night perch in South Luangwa National Park, eastern Zambia, Africa.
• Mottled Owl (Ciccaba [=Strix] virgata)  
      - on day roost in the high subcanopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest of central Costa Rica. 
• Pel's Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli)  
      - captive specimen taken in Senga Bay, Malawi, Africa. 
• Hawaiian Short-eared Owl or Pueo (Asio flammeus sandwichensis)  
      - endemic subspecies, photographed on mid slopes of Haleakala, Maui, Hawaiian Islands. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3. 

 

Note: taxonomy here is based mostly on:
König, C., F. Weick, and J. Becking. 1999. Owls: a guide to the owls of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. 462 pp.

   

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Recordings of Owls by Bruce Marcot ¹

• Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) 
      - squawks, northern India - song 1, song 2 
• Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
      - juvenile squawk call, northwestern Oregon 
• Giant Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus)
      I made the following recordings of juvenile squawk calls at Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya: 
      - on daytime roost, probably food-begging call, 3 calls (originally given about 40 sec. apart, intervening time edited down in this sound clip) - call 1; single call noise-reduced, call 2 
      - on daytime roost, probably heat-distress or contact call, 4 calls (originally given about 20-30 sec. apart, time-edited here) - call 3; two calls noise-reduced, call 4  
      - on nighttime perch, possibly contact call (no time-editing here), call 5, call 6 
• Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus)
      - song recorded in Douglas-fir/oak forests of the Klamath Mountains in northwestern California
• Western Screech-owl (Otus kennicottii)
      - recorded in mixed hardwood-conifer forests of the Klamath Mountains in northwestern California: song 1; song 2
• Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)
      - song recorded in northeastern India.
• Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia)
      - from Kaziranga National Park, Assam, Northeast India - example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4 with unknown call 
• Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia)
      - Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, south India - example 1, example 2 
• Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium californicum, formerly G. gnoma)
      - song recorded in Douglas-fir forests of northwestern California
• Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)
      - song recorded in northeastern India
      - short call (repeated), Thekkady, Kerala, south India 
• Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)
      - from Kaziranga National Park, Assam, Northeast India - example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4 
• Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium peralatum)
      - Lake Baringo, Rift Valley, Kenya; nighttime, repeated-toot call; same call noise-reduced  
• Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
      - song recorded in northwestern California
• Mottled Wood Owl (Strix oscellata)
      - song recorded in the Shivalik Hills, foothills of the Himalayas, in Dehra Dun, northern India. A weird story about this call.
      - additional songs from same location, recorded several years later -- example 1, example 2 
      - important caveat about the above recordings of Strix oscellata:  I am not 100% certain of identification.  I have tried to track down others' recordings of this species for comparison with no luck.  
• African Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii)
      - songs recorded in Victoria Falls National Park, northwestern Zimbabwe; male (lower voice), female (higher voice)
• Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
      - recorded in Forêt de l'Isle-Adam, France, north of Paris -- typical songs: male (presumably; lower pitch), female (higher pitch); cree-ick call presumably by female.
• Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)
      - northern India, song 1; song 2  
• Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) - 
      - typical song, recorded in Russian Far East, southern Primorski Krai in the remote stretches of the upper Bikin River watershed in hardwood-Korean pine forest
      - from Thekkady, Kerela, south India, near Periyar Tiger Reserve: example 1, example 2 
• Pel's Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli)
      - wail call - filtered, unfiltered, recorded along the Luilaka River along Salonga National Park, central Democratic Republic of the Congo, in tropical rainforest.

  

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Science Reports on Owls by Bruce Marcot

Marcot, B. G.  2007.  Unique songs of African Wood-Owls (Strix woodfordii) in Democratic Republic of Congo.  Gabar 18(1):16-24.  [202KB PDF]  

Marcot, B. G.  2007.  Magellanic Horned Owl's retreat: nest and prey remains.  Web report. 
This also links to:
Marcot, B. G.  2006.  Prey remains of Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) at Perito Moreno, southern Argentina.  Found here. 

Marcot, B. G.  2007.  Owls in native cultures of central Africa and North America.  Tyto Newsbrief 11(March):5-9. [39KB PDF]

Marcot, B. G.  2005. Observations of owls in western Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a note on African Wood Owl vocalizations.  Tyto 9(4):9-15.  (Tyto-Newsbrief, International Owl Society)  [711KB PDF]  Also available at: 
http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Studies+and+Papers&title=Congo+Owls 

Marcot, B. G., and D. H. Johnson. 2003. Owls in mythology and culture.  Pp. 88-105 in: J. R. Duncan. Owls of the world: their lives, behavior and survival. Key Porter Books, Ltd., Toronto, Canada. 319 pp.  Available at Amazon.com  

Marcot, Bruce G.  2002.  Owls in Malawi and eastern Zambia.  Tyto 9(2):11-13.  (Tyto-Newsbrief, International Owl Society, September 2004.)  [16KB PDF]   Also available at:  
http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Studies+and+Papers&title=Malawi+Zambia  

Olsen, J., B. G. Marcot, and S. Trost.  2002.  Do southern boobooks Ninox novaeseelandiae duet?  Pp. 320-328 in: I. Newton, R. Kavanagh, J. Olsen, and I. Taylor, eds.  Ecology and conservation of owls. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. [494KB PDF]

Marcot, B. G., and J. W. Thomas. 1997. Of spotted owls, old growth, and new policies: a history since the Interagency Scientific Committee report.  Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-408. USDA Forest Service, Portland OR. 34 pp.  Available at: http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.jsp?index=3018

Marcot, B. G.  1995. Owls of old forests of the world.  USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rpt. PNW-GTR-343. Portland OR. 64 pp.  Part 1 [2.7MB PDF], Part 2 [2.9MB PDF], Part 3 [2.6MB PDF]

Marcot, B. G., D. Carrier, and R. Holthausen.  1986. The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). in:  B. A. Wilcox, P. F. Brussard, and B. G. Marcot, eds. The management of viable populations: theory, applications, and case studies. Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford, CA.

Marcot, B. G., R. S. Holthausen, F. B. Samson, and A. B. Carey. 1985. Management and assessment of northern spotted owl populations on National Forests in Washington and Oregon.  In: Raptor Research Foundation Symposium on the Management of Birds of Prey.  International Meeting, Session 11:10.

Marcot, B. G., and J. Gardetto. 1980. Status of the spotted owl in Six Rivers National Forest, California. Western Birds 11:79-87. [162KB PDF] 

Marcot, B. G., and R. Hill. 1980. Flammulated owls in northwestern California. Western Birds 11:141-149. [227KB PDF]

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Contributor to: 

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¹  Some photos and sounds posted on Deane Lewis' OwlPages.

Photos on the top of this page are Ridgeway's Pygmy-owl (left) and Burrowing Owl (right),
both © Bruce G. Marcot.

Bruce G. Marcot may be contacted here.